Telegraph and cable cipher-code.



110,850,091. PATBNTED APR. 9, 1907.

ya,I W. LIBTzow.

TLBGRAPH AND CABLE GIPHER GODE. urnluulou nur szP'r, 1o. 19cm`SHBTS-BHEET 2.

UNITED STATES A, PATENT oEEIoE.

TELEGRAPH AND CABLE CIPHER-CODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Aiatented April 9, 1907.

Application tiled September 10, 1906. Serial No. 333,926.

To al?, w'z/ont t 7mo/,y concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. LIET- zow, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraphand Cable Cipher-Codes, of which the following is a full, clear,andfexact specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in telegraph and cablecipher-codes, having the twofold purpose of reducing the cost of sendingtelegrams and cablegrams and preventing others than the sender andreceiyer knowing the contents of same and in which before my inventionthe cipher-words are largely dictionary words and to a small eX- tentnewly-coined words, with no two words alike, and selected without regardto the number of letters to a word or the adaptability of two words tobe combined into a single pronounceable word, or having not' more thanten letters, the limit number now fixed for a word by the telegraph andcable companies.

In practically all cipher-codes commonly employed before my invention asingle word not infrequently contains eleven or more letters, with theresult that the charge for two words is incurred for one cipher-word. Itvery rarely happens that the aggregate number of letters in any twowords are less than eleven and more and that even when the sum of theletters in both are ten or less they will combine to form a singlepronounceable word, complying with the requirements in this regard ofthe cable companies, all of which is largely due to their successiveselection in their vowelized arrangement from a dictionary and whennewly-coined words are used to the addition of letters for the purposesof changing the form of the word by adding letters and such as willmaintainthe word pronounceable. Again, in telegraph and cable codesheretofore employed and now in general use there is no provision for thecertain detection by the receiver of an error therein due to the sender,and particularly throughmutilation in transmission, as often happens,both in telegraphing and cablinv, and particularly 1n the latter, andthe resuI is that large and irreparable nancial losses frequently accrueon account of the misplac- `ing, omission, or addition of-a singleletter in the cipher-word, and which so entirely changes its meaning thereceiver is induced to act directly contrary to intended instructionsand solely because he has no way of detecting the error.

Se i'ar as I am aware there has not been until my invention anycipher-code for telegraph or cable purposes in which the receiver of acable-gram is furnished with any means in the cipher by which he cancheck with any substantial' degree of certainty against an error due toa trans )osition or omission of any letter in the code-word intended tobe sent, muc-h more with check-letters, which will combine with theircode-words to invariably form a single pronounceable word or withoutincreasing the word to which t-he check-letter is joined to a numberexceeding ten. Furthermore, in these prior ciphercodes theirextensiveness depends largely, if not entirely, upon the number of wordsconsecutivelyselected from a dictionary, and when such-codes containfrom twenty thousand to forty thousand and even more words, as theysometimes do, the various objections, inaccuracies, and uncertaintiesabove `)omted out are correspondingly increased, ior as the number ofwords are increased their variation in number of letters to the word andthe alternating frequency of those variations recurs throughout thecode, thereby correspondingly increasing their confusion in the minds ofthe users and the' difIiculty in selecting the desired word from othersin the immediate vicinity and of differing cipher meaning.

The prime object of my lnvention 1s an eX- tensive cipher-code, everycipher-word of which has the same number of letters in systematiearrangement1 whereby every two or more separate words of which when.joined at either end will form a. pronounceable single word.

A further object of my invention is a cablecode every word of which ispronounceable and is composed of not more and preferably less than halfthe number of lletters now or hereafter allowable to a single word andwhich words when joined at either end combine to form a singlepronounceable word, fully conforming in this res ect to the requirementsof the telegraph an cable companies.

A still further object of my invention is a cipher-code the words ofwhich are in systematic alphabetical arrangement, each word of which ispreferably composed of vowels and consonants in alternate arrangementand is pronounceable and any two words or more of which when combinedform a pro- ICO TIO

nounceable single word; but such words may also be formed by placing twovowels between two consonants, and vice versa.

More specifically stated, one of the principal objects of my inventionis a cipher-code every word of which contains the same num ber ofletters, each composed of vowels and consonants forming a pronounceableword which when combined with any other word at either end produces apronounceable single word containing less than ten letters, which wordswhen separated contain less than half the greatest number of letterspermissible for a single word, whereby there may be. united to a singleword and to a combination of two words one or more check-letters unitingtherewith to form a pronounceable single word of, not more than tenletters.

A second and important object of my invention is a telegraph and cablecode in parts containing duplicate pronounceable cipherwords, each ofwhich differ in meaning and may be joined together at either end to forma pronounceable single word containing not more than the number ofletters permissible for a single word, which said words are providedwith differing check-numbers and are adapted to cooperate, both whenused singly and combined, with accompanying checkletters indicating thepart and parts of' the code-book in which any and every word of acablegram is located and the check-number thereof.

A third and important object of my invention is a telegraph andl cablecipher-code provided with check-letters indicating the part andcheck-number of cipher-words therein, each of which contains the samenumber of letters and ispronounceable, singly and when joined, and isalso provided with check-letters so arranged that when any two ci her-vwords are united at either end and the c leckletters are added to eithera single or joined cipher-words a pronounceable single word willinvariably be formed.

More specifically and consecutively stated, the objects of my inventionare a telegraph and cable code in duplicate par-ts, each of whichcontains similar cipherewords differing in meaning composed of fourletters with alternating vowels and consonants and are pronounceableboth singly and when two of them are joined at either end, each of whichwords have differing checknumbers,'which code also containscheck-letters so arranged as to combine with both single and joinedwords into a pronounceable single word containing not more than tenletters, whereby the number of cipher-words possible from a combinationof letters of uniform number for each word may be doubled, the certaintyof selection of the words for a cablegram and their identification forits translation promoted and facilitated and a perfect accuracy offormulation, and translation and detection of errors is provided for,and a pronounceablc single word., made up4 of two words differing inexpression, together with a check-letter indicating their location andrespective check-numbers, may be sent under the tarifl' for one word ofa cipher-code.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, bywhich the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearingare attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 illustrates briefly the separation of thecode into Parts 1 and 2, the employment of similar words in both parts,their check-numbers and differing expressions, and also the completeword they form when joined together with their checkletter, and also themeans and method by which each of the joined words are identified andchecked. Fig. 2 illustrates briefly the form and arrangement of thecheck-letter table, the check-letters of which serve to indicate thecheck-number and expression when attached thereto of single cipher-wordsand also joined cipher-words. Fig, 3 illustrates briefly Part 1 whenconfined to trade expressions, the key-numbers therefor, and also thetranslation of one of a number of tradev expressions and the methodemployed for translating the same; and Fig. 4, the key to thekey-numbers contained in Fig. 3.

Cipher-words containing my invention specifically are formed of fourletters, composed of alternating vowels and consonants, as indicated inFig. l, and may commence with a vowel or a consonant systematicallyarranged for the purposes of facilitating their selection for andidentification in a cablegram and also their subsequent extension innumbers when in the first instance the number of words of which thealphabet is susceptible are not entirely used. For example, if the firstword is Abab, it is preferably followed by Abac, Abad, Abaf, and so onuntil all ofthe consonants of the alphabet have been used in connectionwith the first three letters Aba,7 and then commencing with anotherseries of words, the first three letters of which are Abe and followingthe same with final consonants, as above described, until the fivevowels a, e, i, o, and u have been exhausted in this manner as the thirdletter. Other and further series of words may then be formed bysuccessively substituting the remaining vowels, as E, for the rst lettercommencing, for example, the wordsEbab,77 Ebac, Ebad, Ebaf, &c.

After the vowels have been exhausted in the manner above described stillanother and further series of words commencing with their first letter aconsonant may be similarly formedias, for example, Baba,

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Babe," Babi, Babo,J Babu, followed by Baca, Bace, Baci, te., and so onuntil all of the vowels and consonants capable of forming dissimilarspelled and pronounceable words are exhausted, and by which time it isproper to say twenty thousand words will have been formed and by placingtwo vowels between two consonants, and vice versa, twenty thousand morewords may be formulated.

By alternating the vowels and consonants, as above described, not onlyis every single word pronounceable, but so also any two words thereofwhen joined together at either end, and, furthermore, provisions isthereby made for incorporating the differingexpressions of any two wordsinto a single pronounceable word of eight letters-that is to say, twoletters less than is permissible under the present tariff rates for asingle word, and when heretofore a single expression has frequentlyrequired a word of more than ten letters.

For an identification and checking purposes hereinafter described every'word of a series is given a different number, designated forconvenience as a check-number,77 beginning with "1 and continuing to888, when the first word of the next series is commenced with thenumeral one (l) and so on for purposes hereinafter described; but itwill be no substantial departure from my invention to continue theconsecutive number to 19,999

In arrangement the words consecutively formed and numbered, as abovedescribed, are preferably placed in the successive order of theirformation in vertical columns for the purposes of facilitating selectionin formulating a cablegram and subsequently checking the words and theircheck-numbers by the receiver, as will now be described. A code of myinvention also contains what for convenience are termed check-letters,consisting of a joined vowel and consonant, as

Ab or Ba, which when prefixed and preferably affixed to any cipher-wordor any two ciplier-words joined together unites therewith to form asingle pronounceable word both when the joined words are different oralike, which said check-letters, if necessary, may be two hundred innumber. These check-letters are arranged in groups of fours, each ofwhich has opposite thereto the same numeral, and `indicate whenvattached to any single cipher-word ina cablegram the part from which itis to be translated, and when joined to any two united cipher-wordsindicate that they are both in one part or that one is to be translatedfrom one part and the other from the other part, as may be, and also theorder in which they are to be translated. The check-letters used incon-l nection with. these cipher-words also serve to indicate thecheck-number accompanying any single word to which they are joined andthe check-numbers of any two joined words to which the check-letters arejoined. All this will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2, inwhich the first group -of checkletters are Ab, A0, Adj and Af, and ofwhich Ab when joined to any one or two joined cipher-words indicatesthat such word and words appear in Part 1 and are to be translated bythe expression accompanying itjor them, as may be in Part 1, Ac, thatsuoli word and words, as may be, are to be translated from theexpression given it or them in Part 2, and when two cipher-words arejoined Ad indicates that the first cipher-word and its expression arecontained in and must be translated from Part 1 and that the secondcipher-word and its expression are contained in and must be translatedfrom Part 2, while Af indicates the reverse of this-namely that theexpression of the first cipher-word is from Part 2 and. the expressionof the secondy cipherword from Part 1. Opposite each'series ofcheck-letters are similar check-numbers, serving to indicate either thecheck-number of the word, the units or tens of such number, or the unitsor tens of the sum of the figures in two joined words when thecheck-letters are joined thereto, as above described, and thereby checkthe number by the word, and vice versa.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the first four checkletters each have thecheck-number 1 arranged opposite thereto, and the check-letters Ah, Aj,Ak, andAl each have correspondingly arranged the check-numbers 2, whileagain the next four check-letters' Am, An, Ap, and Ar each haveoppositely-arranged check-numb ers 3 In every new group the arrangementof the part-indicator will follow in the order before specificallydescribed, and in this manner Inew groups of check-letters may be addedand their oppositely-arranged check-letters increased until there arefifty of such groups and two hundred diHering two-check-lettercombinations, which is substantially the limit which may accrue to theemployment of the English. alphabet and which for practical purposes aresufficient when a code contains twenty thousand duplicated four-lettercipher-words in two parts.

The application of these check-letters with their check-numbers andpart-indicators, and vice versa, will now be explained by reference toFigs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, in Fig. 1 of which the arrangement inParts 1 and 2 is illustrated as containing cipherwords, theircheck-numbers, and their differing expressions and from which and thecheck-letter table a cablegram may be formulated. When it is desired tocable a corres ondent to refer to a former cablegram for t e purposes ofascertaining some informa- IOO tion therein, let it be supposed theexpression therefor is in Part 1, that it is, Referring to our cable ofthe 5th instant, that its cipher-words is Abel and the check-number ofthe cipher-word is 1, and that therefore the check-letter is Ab, whichwhen added to Abel forms a single pronounceable word Abelab 4To checkthe accuracy or inaccuracy, as. may be, of such a cablegram, thereceiver Will first turn to the check-letters Ab in the check-lettertable and after ascertaining therefrom in which part the word Abel iscontained he will turn to that part and compare the cipherword with itsexpression and check-number in that part and if both cipher-word andcheck-number correspond with that indicated by the check-letters then hewill know the cablegram is without error. In other words, thecheck-letter identifies, first, the word to which it is joined 5 second,the part in which it is contained; third, the check-number of that word,and, fourth, its expression.

As shown in Fig. 1, Part 2 contains the same word Abel, having thecheck-number 2 and the expression It is impossible to do better, and itwill therefore be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the check-letter willnecessarily be Aj,7 the check-number "2 of which corresponds with thatof the cipher-word Abel and the entire word Abelaj When, however, it isdesirable to use both expressions in one word, the word would then beAbelabelap, or, in other words, the check-letters opposite which is thecheck-number 3 represents the sum of the check-numbers of the two joinedwords Abel, the indicator of which is, as will be seen by referring toFig. 2', that the first word and its expression is in Part 1 and thesecond word and its expression in Part 2 and the sum of theircheck-numbers 3.

The check-letter is selected from the series in which the check-numberis the same as the number of a cipher-word when it contains one figure;but when the check-number contains two or more figures then the same asthat of the sum of the addition of those figures and when two words arejoined the same as the sum of the addition of all the figures-as, forexample, if the check-number of the cipher-word is two (2) and it iscontained in Part 1 the check-letter Ah having the check-number 2 wouldbe joined thereto, and if the check-number of the word is 1 1 1 the sumof these figures would be 3 and the check-letter, if the expression isin Part 1, would be Am, and so if, for example, two ci her-words arejoined and their respective c eck-numbers are, say, 888 and 799 7 acheck-letter would be selected from the group of check-letters to whichthe sum of the addition of their figures appears and which is "49.7 Nowin this connection it should be observed that as the two-lettercombination from the English alphabet is necessarily limited to twohundred and as the lsame check-number is used to every four of suchcombinations the highest checknumber employed with the check-letters is50, and it is for this reason that the checknumbers of the cipher-wordssto at 888 and then begin again with 1, fior, as may be observed, if thesum of the figures in two check-numbers each of which are 888 is "48 andthat within their range the highest possible sum of the figures of twocipherwords results from check-numbers both of which are 799 -that is tosay, 50.

Having already pointed out that -duplicate words may be employed whenprovided with differing check-numbers and with different expressions bylacing them in identified separate parts-t. e., Part 1 and Part 2-of acode, it will readily be seen that by my invention means are provided bywhich any number of the twenty thousand words before referred to may beduplicated and to their full extent, so that the English alphabet may beused to the extent of forty thousand cipherwords each consisting of afour-letter combination and that any two such words may not only bejoined into a single pronounceable word, but have combined therewithcheckletters indicating the parts in which said letters are containedand the check-number thereof with absolute certainty not only in theformulation of a cablegram, but preventing its delivery with any mistakethat is not detectable,

The two-part feature of a code due to my invention is of furtherimportance in that it enables an intelligent and successfulclassification of expressions-that is to say, it provides for confiningtrade expressions to one part and general expressions to the other part,which of itself tends to facilitate the selection of the expressions forthe formulation of a cablegram, for the reason that when it is desirable-to send a cablegram containing only general expressions the sender needonly refer to one part in formulating, For example, Part 1 may containsuch trade expressions as "Pure lard advance limits 3d, which means thatthe foreign agent shall make an advance of three pence over the previousmarket price, and in Part 2 general expressions such as If cannot sellat our price cable best can do.77

For the purpose of applying the same trade expression to differingcommodities or grades of the same commodity-as, for example7 Pure lard,Compound lard, and

Oleo oil Without confusing one with the' other-differing cipher-wordswith differing cheek-numbers, respectively corresponding with thekey-numbers, are used in connection with such expressions, as will beseen by ref- IKO erence to Fig. 4, illustrating a key in which "1 is thekey to pure lard, 2" to compound lard, and 3 to oleo oil.

Fig. 3 illustrates, for example, that Part 1 contains the tradeexpression "Advance limit 3d. that below the same are three diliferingcipher-words provided with check# numbers corresponding with thekey-munbers, and that opposite these words in line arrangement are checkand key numbers differing as to each word, but alike as to the sameword, and it is proper to add at this point that the key-numbers may andusually do diiler from that of the check-number. Now with this key andtable suppose it be desirable to cable a foreign agent Pure lard advancelimits 3d. It will be found that under the expression Advance limits 3dthere are three differing cipher-words, bama, bame, bami,7 that byturning to the key in Fig. 4 the key-number of Pure lar( is 1, andtherefore that bama `contains the desired expression and that itscheclenumber is f 1 and having proceeded thus far it then remains toturn to the part-indicator and select and join thereto the checklettersindicating that bama is in Part 1 and its checkaiumber is 1 and whichwill be found to be the check-letter Ab, which when joined to bama formsthe single pronounceable word Bamaab. Again, if it is desirable to cablein one word Pure lard advance limits 3d and Compound lard advance limits3d, the joined words will be bama, bame, and the sum of their keynumbers3, with the result that on turning to the indicator-table it will befound that Am is the key-word therefor and the complete word of tenletters bamabameam.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that any two expressions selectedfrom the same part or separately from each part may be joined togetherand to the proper check-letters into a single word without employingmore than ten letters and that said word will invariably bepronounceable.

It is proper to add that in the compilation of a code-book containing myinvention and following the usual custom in extensive codebooks theexpressions themselves will be tabulated and accompanied by headingscontaininOV the catch or leading expression therein for zfacilitatingtheir selection in formulating a cablegram. Whenever the leading ideaand catch expression refers to Limitsf then the several differingexpressions in this regard are tabulated under the one heading Limits,and if there are many expressions in which limits leads then there maybe one heading of Advance limits and anotherl heading of Reduce limits,with the several expressions tabulated thereunder accordingly. Again,for example, under expressions the leading idea and catch-word of whichis Consignments, Demand Letter,

Sale, Sold, &c., similar headings are employed and arrangement ofexpressions made, and these several headings are also preferably inconsecutively vowelized arrangement for convenience in turning to them.In this connection it is further proper to direct attention to the factthat by having the cipher-words uniformly of four letters alternating invowels and consonants, and vice versa, the selection and accuracy of thecipher-words are facilitated both in formulating and translatinfT themin and from a cablegram, because of the orderly arrangement of whichthey are susceptible by reason of their uniformity of letters and theiralternating feature, which latter also provides against the liability ofusing duplicate words in efforts to fully employ the greatest number ofWords of which the alphL bet is susceptible.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a cipher-code, a code-book the cipher-words of which contain lessthan half the number of letters allowable for a single word, arepronounceable both as single Words and when any two such words arejoined together at either end, and are accompanied by a check-number,which code-book also contains check-letters which when joined to any oneword or a combination of two cipherwords are adapted to indicate thechecknumbers thereof and enable the receiver to determine the accuracyor inaccuracy as may be of a cablegram containing a single or acombination of any two words therein.

2. In a cipher-code, a code-book the cipher-words of which contain lessthan half the number of letters permissible for a single word and arepronounceable both when alone and when any two such words are joinedtogether, which book'also contains check-letters indicating the numberand location of a cipher word and words, and which' when joined to twocipher-words will form therewith a single pronounceable word of not morethan the number of letters allowable for a single word and indicate thechecknumber and location of said 'word and words.

3. In a cipher-code, a code-b ook divided in parts containing duplicatecipher-'words differing in meaning in each part, and having acheck-nuinber for every such word, said codebook being also providedwith check-letters indicating the part, and the checkenumber of a singlecode-word, and when a plurality of code-words are combined, therespective parts in which said words appear, and also the check-numberthereof, when compared with the sum of the figures of the checknumbersof said words.

4. In a cipher-code, a code-book divided in parts containing duplicatecipher-words differing in meaning in each part, and having acheck-number for every word, said code-book IOO lIO

being also provided with check-letters combining with one and more wordsto form a single word, and indicatinr the part and the check-number ofany single code-word used alone, and when a plurality of words arecoinbined the part and parts in which said words appear, and also thecheck-numbers thereof when compared with the sum of the iigures of thecheck-numbers of said words.

1o 5. In a cipher-code, a code-book divided in parts of which containduplicate cipherwords differing in meaning in each part, and having acheck-number for every word7 said code-book being also provided withcheckletters grouped in fours and combining with one or more of saidwords to form a single word, and indicating the part and the checknumberof a single code-word used alone, and when a plurality of code-words arecombined the part and parts in which said words appear, and also thecheck-numbers thereof when compared with the sum of the igures of thecheck-numbers of said words.

6. In a cipher-code, a code-book divided in parts containing similarfour-letter cipherwords diering in meaning in each part, andcheck-numbers for such every word, said code-book being also providedwith checkletters combining with one or more of said words to form asingle word, and indicating the part and the check-number of a singlecode-word used alone, and when a plurality of code-words are the partand parts in which said words appear, and also the checknumbers thereofwhen compared with the sum of the figures of the check-numbers of saidwords.

7. In a cipher-code,` a code-book divided in parts containing similarfour-letter cipherwords differing in meaning in each part, and having acheck-number for every word, said code-book being also provided with atwoletter combination combining with one or more of said words to form asingle word and vowels and consonants and vice versa, four in number andan two of said words joined at j either end to orm a singlepronounceable word, which code-book also includes differingcheck-numbers for each cipher-word, and a check-letter adapted tocombine with a cipher-word to form a single pronounceable word anddetermine the accuracy of the use j of said word in a cablegram.

9. In a cipher-code, a code-book,` a substantial portion of thecipher-words of which are composed of four alternating vowels andconsonants and vice versa, and provided with differing cheek-numbers,which book also contains check-letters comprising a vowel and consonantindicating the part and check-number ofthe cipher-word, and joined wordsto which it is attached, and which when joined to such word and wordscombines therewith to form a single pronounceable word of six or tenletters as may be.

l0. In a cipher-code7 a code-book, a substantial portion of thecipher-words of which, are composed of four-letter pronounceable words,each of which have a differing checknumber, a plurality of any of whichwords when joined together form a singlepronounceable word, which bookalso contains a check letter or letters indicating the check-number ofboth single and joined cipher-words to which it or they are attached andwhich when j oined to such word or words combines therewith. to form asingle pronounceable word.

11. In a cipher-code, a code-book, a substantial portion of thecipher-words of which are composed of four-letter pronounceable words,each of which have a differing checknumber, a plurality of any of whichwords when ljoined together form a single pronounceable word, which bookalso contains a check letter or letters indicatin the checknumber ofboth single and joined cipherwords to which it or they are attached andwhich when joined to such word or words 45 indicating the part and thechec -number of a single code-word used alone, and when a l plurality ofcode-words are combined, the l part and parts in which said wordsrespectively appear, and also the check-number thereof when comparedwith the sum of the figures of the check-numbers of said words.

8. In a cipher-code, a 'code-book in which a substantial portion of thenumber of cipherwords therein are composed of alternating combinestherewith to form a single pronounceable word of ten letters or less asmay be.

In witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand this 7th day ofSeptember, 1906.

FREDERICK w. LiETZow. Witnesses:

ETHEL K. MANeHEsTER,-

JNO. G. ELLIOTT@ IOO

